Philadelphia 76ers Rookie Shows Area of Focus With Workout Video

What's Adem Bona working on improving this summer?

Jul 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward/center Adem Bona (30) attempts to catch the rebound against Portland Trail Blazers forward Justin Minaya (24) and guard/forward Rayan Rupert during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Soon, the Philadelphia 76ers will gather in the Bahamas to begin preparing for the 2024-2025 NBA season. A handful of players, including Adem Bona, will be partaking in their first NBA training camp.

As Bona prepares for his first run with the Sixers, it was recently revealed the rookie center is working on developing a part of his game that hasn’t been tapped quite yet.

A recent video shows the progress of Bona’s three-point shot.

Adem Bona working on his corner three

(Turn your device to avoid a neck cramp) pic.twitter.com/sozoYc2Vbi

— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) September 6, 2024

During the 2022-2023 season, Bona spent over 750 minutes on the court as a freshman at UCLA. Although he attempted over 150 shots from the field, none of them came from beyond the arc.

Bona’s sophomore effort called for more minutes, allowing him to take more shots. Once again, the big man stayed within the three-point line, taking just one three-point attempt in 260 shots.

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Although stretch-fives are more common in today’s NBA, not every center has to have the shooting versatility and range as the seven-time All-Star Joel Embiid.

But if a player has the ability to shoot, it definitely doesn’t hurt to put the shot to work in a game setting. So, Bona is working on expanding his range ahead of his rookie campaign.

The Sixers selected Bona with the 41st overall pick, making him their lone second-round pick in 2024. While Bona avoided the two-way signing route and picked up a standard deal instead, a role within the primary rotation is not a guarantee, considering Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond are on the depth chart.

Like other Philly-based first-year players that came before him, Bona could earn playing time at the G League level in year one. In that case, he would have an opportunity to sharpen his tools in the paint while also letting shots fly from deep when the opportunity to do so presents itself.

The 76ers likely aren’t expecting Bona to change his game overnight, adding a shot that wasn’t there in college, but they must be excited about the 21-year-old’s willingness to step out of his comfort zone to add to his game.